Manitoba's Top Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 14
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SPONSOR CONTENT
MANITOBA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
Access employees embrace giving back to the community
A
ngela Vincent had
worked her way up
from membership
services representative
to branch manager
when the organization she
worked for merged with Access
Credit Union in 2021. “When we
merged with Access, there were
opportunities to move into a new
role as I took on responsibility to
manage multiple locations,” says
Vincent, now a managing partner.
Managing two – and now three
– locations came with a new set
of challenges for Vincent. She
reached out to her colleagues,
who shared their strategies for
keeping in touch with staff when
moving between locations. “I have
also had mentoring managers who
have pushed me to grow,” she says.
“As Access employees, we have the
leeway to make decisions. We’re
trusted to know our members
and accountable to make the best
decisions for them.”
Winnipeg-based Access is
Manitoba’s largest credit union
and the sixth largest in Canada,
with more than 203,000 members
and nearly 950 staff.
“We have a culture built on
empowerment, accountability and
trust,” says Leanna Beasant, chief
financial and people officer. She
believes Access’s robust communications channels, career development and community involvement
are big reasons this culture exists.
Every month, the CEO holds
a virtual coffee talk for all staff
where he shares news on the
strategy front, financial results
and staff incentives, and he often
invites a motivational speaker.
About half of the 60-minute meeting is reserved for a staff Q&A.
“We aim to be transparent,”
says Beasant. She meets with the
vice-presidents in her area and
Employees at Access Credit Union volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity build.
they ensure information is passed
along to their teams. An extensive
intranet site includes up-to-theminute financial news, community updates and interest rates, as
well as policies and procedures.
We have a culture
built on empowerment,
accountability and trust.
— Leanna Beasant
Chief Financial
and People Officer
Other opportunities to communicate include small, collaborative
groups and committees. Vincent
is a member of the Access health
and wellness committee. It puts
out an employee newsletter with
healthy tips and information on
wellness benefits. And it promotes
healthy challenges for staff such as
boosting the amount of water they
drink or creating a budget.
Career development is also top
of mind for employees. Access
supports employees to take leadership training or to work toward
a degree. Vincent is currently
enrolled in a certificate program in
management and administration
at the University of Manitoba.
Employees can learn about
other areas within the organization that speak to their interests.
Access offers opportunities for
mentorship, job shadowing or
term positions.
Even with all of these opportunities, Vincent finds her employees’ favourite activities involve
coming together for charity or
community events. “We encourage
